Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 18 Part 3.djvu/504

This page needs to be proofread.

474 FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ou. 139. 1875. M arelr 3, 1875. CHAP. 139.-—An act to enable the people of Coloradvto form a constitution and stm, -·-·-————— ¥:£;;m;§;% ziigl giilgitlis sion o the said Stateunto the Union on an equal Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Territory ¤fC<>l- States of America in Congress assembled, That the inhabitants of the °¤`¤¤° ¤¤¤°°¤·S°**·°°· Territory of Colorado included in the boundaries hereinatter designated be, and they are hereby, authorized to iorm for themse1ves§ out of said Territory, a State government, with the name of the State of Colorado; which State, when formed, shall be admitted into the Union upon an equal footing with the_ original States in all respects whatsoever, as hereinafter rovi ed. B<>¤¤<l¤‘i¤¤· Sec. 2. That the said State of Colorado shall consist of all fthe terri. tory included within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing on the thirtyseventh parallel of north latitude where the twenty-fifth meridian of longitude west from Washington crosses the same; thence north, on said meridian, to the forty-nrst parallel of north latitude; thence alonfg said Véiaxiallel west tac the thhétysewrxddmeridign of tiongéi- tu e west rom as ington · ence sou on said . meri ian, the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude 3 thence along said thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, to the place of beginning. Who may vote Sec. 3. That all persons qualiiied.by1aw to vote for repre entatives ut GM ·>l<=¤¤i<>¤· to the general assembly of said Territory, at the date of the passage of this act, shall be qualified to be elected, and they are hereby authorized to lvote tgr and choose representatives to foam] a convention Ender uch rn es an regu ations ast e vernoro said erritory the c ie ‘ustiee and the United States attornity thereof may prescribe; and alsolo vote upon the acceptance or rejection of such constitution as may be formed _ by said convention, under such rules and regulations as said convention may prescribe; and the aforesaid representatives to form the aforesaid Apportionment convention shall be apportioned among the several counties in said °f *°1"°“°“W*“’°“· Territory in proportion to the vote polled in each of said counties at the last ieiiexéal elecgzmn as neair ashmay be; and said apportionment shall be m e or said erritory y the governor United States district attorney, and chief justice thereof, or any two ol them; and the governor of said Territory shall, by proclamation, order an election of the representatives aforesaid to be held throughout the Territoryat such time as _Timeo£inste1ee- shall be fixed by the governor, chief justice, and United States attorney, ¤°¤» &<>· or any two of them, which proclamation shall be issued within ninety days next after the nrst day of September, eighteen hundred and seventy- live, and at least thirty days prior to the time of said election ; and such election shall be conducted in the same manner as is prescribed by the laws of said Territory regulating elections therein for members of the house of representatives; and the number of members to said convention shmll befthe same as new constitutes both branches of the legislaure o e a oresai erm ory. v6l;I§•;£¤%0 0;::1; {SEO. 4. T11{a.titl1e énembers of the convention thus elected shall meet . . a - o ca ita o said Territor on a da to be iixed b said overnor Sm? °°°°mm°°' chief justice, anld lgnitedf Stxates attorhey, not more Qhan slxtyldagé su sequent to the ay o election, which time of meeting sha contained ih the aforesaid proclamation mentioned in the third section of this act and, after organization, shall declare, on behalf of the people {of saidl Territoryh that dthey adopt the Constitution of the United a es; w ereupon e said convention shall be, and is hereby, authorized to forma constitution and State government for said Territory: _ _ _ Prouidcd, Cllbatthe constitution shall be republican in form, and make mygsllggtlzm no distinction in civil or political rights on account of race or color, com &c_ · except lndians not taxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of ' thedUn1teddSlt;a·tes and this principles of the Declaration of Independence n provi urt r, at said convention shall provide, by an or 1- nance irrevocable without the consent of the United States and the Ilteligious tolera- people of said State, iirst, that perfect toleration of religious sentiment tum. shall be secured, and no inhabitant of said State shall ever be molestédi